World War II - Avro Lancaster Bomber Guns: 8 × .30 in (7.7 mm) machine guns Bombs: 14,000 lbs. depending on range, 1 x 22,000-lb. Grand Slam bomb Avro Lancaster - Design & Development: The Avro Lancaster originated with the design of the earlier Avro Manchester. Responding to Air Ministry Specification P.13/36 which called for a medium bomber capable of being used in all environments, Avro created the twin-engine Manchester in the late 1930s. Similar in appearance to its later cousin, the Manchester utilized the new Roll-Royce Vulture engine. First flying in July 1939, the type showed promise, but the Vulture engines proved highly unreliable. As a result only 200 Manchesters were built and these were withdrawn from service by 1942. As the Manchester program was struggling, Avro's chief designer, Roy Chadwick, began work on an improved, four-engine version of the aircraft.

Dubbed the Avro Type 683 Manchester III, Chadwick's new design utilized the more reliable Rolls-Royce Merlin engine and a larger wing. Renamed "Lancaster," development progressed quickly as the Royal Air Force was engaged in World War II . The Lancaster was similar to its predecessor in that it was a mid-wing cantilever monoplane, featured a greenhouse-style canopy, turret nose, and a twin tail configuration. Built of all-metal construction, the Lancaster required a crew of seven: pilot, flight engineer, bombardier, radio operator, navigator, and two gunners. For protection, the Lancaster carried eight .30 cal. machine guns mounted in three turrets (nose, dorsal, and tail). Early models also featured a ventral turret but these were removed as they were difficult to site. Featuring a massive 33 ft.-long bomb bay, the Lancaster was capable carrying a load of up to 14,000 lbs. As work progressed, the prototype was assembled at Manchester's Ringway Airport. Avro Lancaster - Production: On January 9, 1941, it first took to the air with test pilot H.A. "Bill" Thorn at the controls.

From the start it proved to be a well-designed aircraft and few changes were needed before moving into production. Accepted by the RAF, remaining Manchester orders were switched to the new Lancaster. A total of 7,377 Lancasters of all types were built during its production run. While the majority was built at Avro's Chadderton plant, Lancasters were also built under contract by Metropolitan-Vickers, Armstrong-Whitworth, Austin Motor Company, and Vickers-Armstrong. The type was also built in Canada by Victory Aircraft. Avro Lancaster - Operational History: First seeing service with No. 44 Squadron RAF in early 1942, the Lancaster quickly became one of Bomber Command's principal heavy bombers. Along with the Handley Page Halifax, the Lancaster carried the load of the British nighttime bomber offensive against Germany. Through the course of the war, Lancasters flew 156,000 sorties and dropped 681,638 tons of bombs. These missions were hazardous duty and 3,249 Lancasters were lost in action (44% of all built). As the conflict progressed, the Lancaster was modified several times to accommodate new types of bombs.

Initially capable of carrying 4,000-lb. blockbuster or "cookie" bombs, the addition of bulged doors to the bomb bay allowed the Lancaster to drop 8,000- and later 12,000-lb. blockbusters. Additional modifications to the aircraft allowed them to carry the 12,000-lb. "Tallboy" and 22,000-lb. "Grand Slam" earthquake bombs which were used against hardened targets. Directed by Air Chief Marshal Sir Arthur "Bomber" Harris , Lancasters played a key role in Operation Gomorrah which destroyed large parts of Hamburg in 1943. The aircraft was also widely used in Harris' area bombing campaign which flattened many German cities. During the course of its career, the Lancaster also achieved fame for conducting special, daring missions over hostile territory. One such mission, Operation Chastise a.k.a. the Dambuster Raids, saw specially modified Lancasters use Barnes Wallis' bouncing bombs to destroy key dams in the Ruhr Valley. Flown in May 1943, the mission was a success and provided boost to British morale.

In the fall of 1944, Lancasters conducted multiple strikes against the German battleship Tirpitz , first damaging and then sinking it. The destruction of the ship removed a key threat to Allied shipping. In the final days of the war, the Lancaster conducted humanitarian missions over the Netherlands as part of Operation Manna . These flights saw the aircraft drop food and supplies to that nation's starving population. With the end of the war in Europe in May 1945, many Lancasters were slated for transfer to the Pacific for operations against Japan. Intended to operate from bases in Okinawa, the Lancasters proved unnecessary following Japan's surrender in September. Retained by the RAF after the war, Lancasters were also transferred to France and Argentina. Other Lancasters were converted into civilian aircraft. Lancasters remained in use by the French, largely in maritime search/rescue roles, until the mid-1960s. The Lancaster also spawned several derivatives including the Avro Lincoln. An enlarged Lancaster, the Lincoln arrived too late to see service during World War II. Other types to come from the Lancaster included the Avro York transport and the Avro Shackleton maritime patrol/airborne early warning aircraft.

Selected Sources 1000+ images about Avro Lancaster and world war 2 on Pinterest | Hawker hurricane, Battle of britain and Second world One o fthe only two flyable Lancasters remaining, the Batlle of Britain Memorial Flight Avro Lancaster B.I PA474, Phantom of the Ruhr. See More The Avro Lancaster Bomber - History Learning Site The Avro Lancaster Bomber Citation: C N Trueman "The Avro Lancaster Bomber" historylearningsite.co.uk. The History Learning Site, 19 May 2015. 16 Aug 2016. The Avro Lancaster was Bomber Command’s most famous bomber during World War Two . The Lancaster was used on many occasions on bombing raids in Germany, including the so-called ‘1000 Bomber’ raid on Cologne. The Lancaster was born out of the unsuccessful Manchester bomber. The original Lancaster was built onto a converted Manchester frame with four Merlin X engines attached to an enlarged wing section. The first prototype Lancaster first flew on January 9th 1941 . By May 1941, a second prototype was designed which was equipped with more powerful Merlin XX engines.

In September 1941, the Lancaster was delivered to 44 Squadron for crew training and evaluation. It was an immediate success. The Air Ministry put in large orders almost immediately and the first production Lancaster flew in October 1941. Avro’s first contract was for 1,070 Lancasters but more soon followed. In fact, the orders for the bomber was too much for Avro and work was contracted out to other companies, such as Armstrong Whitley, Vickers Armstrong and Austin Morris. In all, 7,377 Lancasters were built. The Lancaster was a heavily armed bomber. It had eight 0.303 machine guns in various turrets on board. As time progressed, the bomb bay in the plane was changed to allow such mighty bombs as the ‘Grand Slam’ to be carried. The ‘Grand Slam’ at 22,000 lb (9979 kg) was the heaviest bomb carried in World War Two . The Lancasters took part in many raids on Germany in World War Two.

They were also used in specific raids such as the one on the ‘Tirpitz’ (November 1944 ) holed up in a Norwegian fjord. The most famous bombing raid by Lancasters was the ‘ Dambuster Raids ’. For this, Barnes Wallis had to make a number of modifications to the Lancasters that took part in this raid. Nineteen Lancasters took part in this raid on May 17th 1943 , with eight planes being lost. The Lancaster flew more than 156,000 sorties in World War Two. The plane dropped a total of 608,000 tons of high explosive bombs and more than 51 million incendiary bombs.

Facts: Maximum speed: 287 mph (462 km/h) at 11,500 feet (3505 metres) Ceiling height: 24,500 feet (7470 metres) Range: 2,530 miles (4072 km) Armament: eight x 0.303 machine guns; maximum bomb load of one x 22,000 lb Tall Boy bomb (9979 kg) or 14,000 lb (6350 kg) of smaller bombs. Avro Lancaster - Four-Engined Heavy Bomber / Reconnaissance Aircraft - Specifications, History and Images Avro Lancaster Four-Engined Heavy Bomber / Reconnaissance Aircraft (1942) Avro Lancaster Four-Engined Heavy Bomber / Reconnaissance Aircraft (1942) Continuation of the Avro Lancaster Four-Engined Heavy Bomber / Reconnaissance Aircraft development period and operational history. Lancasters began their operational careers under rather mixed results.

Daylight raids without escort fighters in tow guaranteed ruin for bomber crews as enemy fighter patrols and interceptors coupled with ground-based FlaK fire could cut through Lancaster formations with relative impunity. On one early such raid, Lancasters managed to find their mark on German targets in Augsburg but lost seven of its twelve aircraft in the process. This forced Bomber Command to take the fight to the night skies to which Lancaster crews showcased their mettle. Daylight raids were now protected by escorting fighter groups which allowed for higher success rates in terms of returning crews. Lancasters were credited with the sinking of the German KMS Tirpitz battleship when, on November 12th, 1944, two Lancaster groups engaged the vessel at Tromso Fjord in Norway with special 12,000lb "Tallboy" bombs designed specifically for armored targets. The battleship was appropriately sunk and a total loss for the shrinking German Navy. In similar-minded sorties, the "Grand Slam" mega-bomb came into play and targeted fortified underground positions, the 22,000lb creation sufficient in cutting through and disrupting the integrity of the concrete structures.

The "Upkeep" series was a 9,250lb design intended for the destruction of dams. Lancaster bombers formed some 59 Bomber Command squadrons and were credited with 156,000 bombing sorties in the whole course of the war, dropping some 681,600 tons (short) of ordnance. The Lancaster served beyond the British and their RAF, seeing operational service (some during World War 2 and others in the post-war years) with Argentina, Australia, Canada, Egypt, France, Poland, the Soviet Union (via Lend-Lease) and Sweden. Production netted 7,377 units by February 2nd, 1946 when the last airframe was handed over to the RAF from Armstrong Whitworth. The final operational Lancaster was retired from Canadian service in 1963, some two decades since its introduction. Canada produced Lancasters under the B.Mk X (Lancaster B.Mk III) and B.Mk XV (Lincoln B.Mk I) designations.

The Lancaster series was produced in a few notable variants though the original Merlin XX-equipped B.Mk I models (later with Merlin 22 and 24 engines) survived through to the end of the war in 1945. The PR.Mk 1 was a photographic reconnaissance platform sans its guns and turrets and bomb-carrying capability. The B. Mk I (FE) was a tropicalized form intended for Far East actions against the Japanese. The B.Mk II incorporated the Bristol Hercules engines with 300 examples completed by Armstrong Whitworth. B.Mk III was used to signify B.MK I models completed with American Packard engines. The ASR.Mk III was a B.Mk III bomber model appropriately modified with lifeboat and detection antenna for the Air-Sea Rescue (ASR) role. The GR.Mk 3 was a maritime reconnaissance platform version of the B.Mk III series. The B.IV was given a lengthened fuselage with widened wings ad Boulton Paul powered turret with 2 x 12.7mm Browning heavy machine guns with power served through concurrent Merlin 85/68 engines.

Such a difference was this mark that it became the Lincoln B.Mk I and this was followed by the B.Mk V becoming the Lincoln B.Mk II with widened wings and an even longer fuselage with Merlin 85 engines. Final production Lancasters became the B.Mk VII with revised armament. Performance specifications for the definitive B.Mk I model included a top speed of 282 miles per hour, cruise speed of 200 miles per hour, range of 2,530 miles, service ceiling of 21,400 feet and a rate-of-climb nearing 720 feet per minute.

© Avro Lancaster - Four-Engined Heavy Bomber / Reconnaissance Aircraft - Specifications, History and Images 2 x 7.7mm Browning machine guns in nose turret 2 x 7.7mm Browning machine guns in dorsal turret 4 x 7.7mm Browning machine guns in tail turret OPTIONAL: 4,000lbs to 22,000lbs of internal ordnance or specialized mission equipment (22,000lb Grand Slam, 12,000lb Tallboy or 9,250lb Upkeep bombs). Staff Writer (Updated: 8/31/2016): The Avro Lancaster went on to become the most important British heavy bomber or World War 2. Interestingly, its success was born from the failure of the Avro Manchester bomber - a twin-engined heavy bomber first flown in July of 1939 and adopted in November of 1940. The type was hampered by unreliable engines that led to only 202 examples being produced in all. The Lancaster was born from this failed design to include different engines set along a revised wing.

The prototype version was nothing more than a revised Manchester complete with its triple vertical finned tail unit - the key difference lay in the selection of the Rolls-Royce Merlin X series inline piston engines of 1,145 horsepower each. Within time, the triple-finned tail unit was given up in favor of the standard twin rudder arrangement common to the Lancaster history. In its prototype form, the Lancaster went airborne for the first time on January 9th, 1941. With World War 2 in full swing and the British commitment extensive, the prototype was quickly handed to Boscombe Down for formal evaluations. Development was so speedy that a production-quality form was airborne as early as October 1941 and the series, upon passing its requisite trials, was adopted for operational service in February of 1942, quantitative orders forthcoming. Early production versions were born for Manchester airframes still on Avro lines and inducted into RAF service as the Lancaster B.Mk I. With production in full swing, the Lancaster was immediately placed into frontline action. Each aircraft required a standard operating crew of seven to include the pilot, bombardier, navigator, flight engineer, radio operator, dorsal gunner and rear gunner.

Each man was specifically trained for their respective positions about the craft that ranged from the nose to the tail. The bomb bay was given much of the central internal volume. The flight deck consisted of a heavily glazed canopy with conventional seating and controls. The nose was equally glazed over to provide the bombardier and his equipment unfettered views of the action ahead and below. The undercarriage incorporated two main landing gear legs (single wheeled) with a tail wheel at rear. Outwardly, the Lancaster followed the same design style of other British bomber aircraft of the war, nothing beautiful but full of business. Original Lancasters showcased a bomb bay initially intended to carry up to 4,000lbs of ordnance. During the height of the war, a typical Lancaster set off with approximately 14,000lbs of conventional drop bombs and eventually even fielded the massive 22,000lb "Grand Slam" bombs (their size forced the bomb bay doors to be removed altogether).

Beyond its bomb load out for its offensive armament, the Lancaster was outfitted with no fewer than 8 x 7.7mm Browning machine guns for self-defense across three Frazer-Nash hydraulically-powered turrets at the nose, dorsal spine and tail. Two were installed in a nose/chin turret and operated by the bombardier. Two were fitted to the dorsal turret at amidships along the fuselage spine. Four were installed in a powered tail turret at the extreme aft of the aircraft. Unlike its American brethren, the Lancaster series (on the whole) lacked a belly turret and beam waist gunners for additional defense and utilized a smaller-caliber (7.7mm/0.303) machine gun (as opposed to 0.50 caliber). At one point, the thought of adding a belly turret as standard was entertained but never followed-up. Only a small number of early-form Lancasters were outfitted with ventral turrets (these armed with 2 x 0.303 machine guns). The need for capable Lancasters was such that its production was tied to other much-needed aircraft meaning that there proved a near-shortage of available Merlin engines threatening manufacture.

To supplement stocks of Rolls-Royce Merlins, the American concern of Packard was brought into the fold to produce the same powerplant in the United States (under license). In extreme circumstances, the RAF took on Lancasters fitted with Bristol Hercules VI/XVI radial piston engines of 1,735 horsepower. As Melin engines themselves evolved so too did the various Lancasters coming off the assembly lines - new mounts included the Merlin XX, 22 and 24 series. © AVRO Lancaster Production - YouTube AVRO Lancaster Production Want to watch this again later? Sign in to add this video to a playlist. Need to report the video? Sign in to report inappropriate content. Rating is available when the video has been rented. This feature is not available right now. Please try again later. Uploaded on Sep 14, 2007 The Avro Lancaster was a British four-engine Second World War bomber aircraft made initially by Avro for the British Royal Air Force (RAF).

It first saw active service in 1942, and together with the Handley-Page Halifax it was one of the main heavy bombers of the RAF, the Royal Canadian Air Force and squadrons from other Commonwealth and European countries serving with RAF Bomber Command. The "Lanc" or "Lankie," as it became affectionately known, became the most famous and most successful of the Second World War night bombers, "delivering 608,612 tons of bombs in 156,000 sorties." Although the Lancaster was primarily a night bomber, it excelled in many other roles including daylight precision bombing, and gained worldwide renown as the "Dam Buster" used in the 1943 Operation Chastise raids on Germany's Ruhr Valley dams. The origins of the Lancaster lie in a twin-engined bomber design powered by Rolls-Royce Vulture engines submitted to Specification P.13/36 which was for a new generation of twin-engined medium bombers.

The resulting aircraft was the Avro Manchester, which, although a capable aircraft, was troubled by the unreliability of the Vulture and withdrawn from service in 1942, by which point 200 aircraft had been built. Avro's chief designer, Roy Chadwick, was already working on an improved Manchester design using four of the more reliable but less powerful Rolls-Royce Merlin engines on a larger wing. The aircraft was initially designated Avro Type 683 Manchester III, and later re-named the Lancaster. The prototype aircraft BT308 was assembled by Avro's experimental flight department at Manchester's Ringway Airport from where test pilot H.A. "Bill" Thorn took the controls for its first flight on Thursday, 9 January 1941. The aircraft proved to be a great improvement on its predecessor, being "one of the few warplanes in history to be 'right' from the start." Its initial three-finned tail layout, a result of being converted from a Manchester I, was quickly changed on the second prototype DG595 and subsequent production aircraft to the familiar twin-finned specification used on the later Manchesters (below).

Some of the later orders for Manchesters were changed in favour of Lancasters; the designs were very similar and both featured the same distinctive greenhouse cockpit, turret nose and twin tail. The Lancaster discarded the stubby central third tail fin of the early Manchesters and used the wider span tailplane and larger elliptical twin fins from the later Manchester IA. The majority of Lancasters built during the war years were manufactured by Avro at their factory at Chadderton near Manchester and test flown from Woodford Aerodrome in Cheshire. Other Lancasters were built by Metropolitan-Vickers and Armstrong Whitworth. The aircraft was also produced at the Austin Motor Company works in Longbridge, Birmingham later in the Second World War and postwar at Chester by Vickers-Armstrongs. Only 300 of the Lancaster B II with Bristol Hercules engines were constructed. The Lancaster B III had Packard Merlin engines but was otherwise identical to contemporary B Is, with 3,030 B IIIs built, almost all at A.V. Roe's Newton Heath factory. The B I and B III were built concurrently, and minor modifications were made to both marks as new batches were ordered.

Examples of these modifications were the relocation of the pitot head from the nose to the side of the cockpit, and the change from de Havilland "needle blade" propellers to Hamilton Standard or Nash Kelvinator made "paddle blade" propellers. A total of 7,377 Lancasters of all marks were built throughout the duration of the war, each at a 1943 cost of £45-50,000 (approximately equivalent to £1.3-1.5 million in 2005 currency). The test pilot Alex Henshaw is the only known pilot to have barrel rolled a Lancaster bomber, a feat considered almost impossible because of the slow speed of the aircraft.

General characteristics Crew: 7: pilot, flight engineer, navigator, bomb aimer, wireless operator, mid-upper and rear gunners Length: 69 ft 5 in (21.18 m) Wingspan: 102 ft (31.09 m) Height: 19 ft 7 in (5.97 m) Wing area: 1,300 ft² (120 m²) Empty weight: 36 828 lb (16,705 kg) Loaded weight: 63,000 lb (29,000 kg) Powerplant: 4× Rolls-Royce Merlin XX V12 engines, 1,280 hp (954 kW) each Performance Maximum speed: 240 knots (280 mph, 450 km/h) at 15,000 ft (5,600 m) Range: 2,700 nm (3,000 mi, 4,600 km) with minimal bomb load Service ceiling: 23,500 ft (8,160 m) Wing loading: 

48 lb/ft² (240 kg/m²) Power/mass: 0.081 hp/lb (130 W/kg) Armament Guns: 8× 0.303 in (7.70 mm) Browning machine guns in three turrets Bombs: Maximum: 22,000 lb (10,000 kg) Typical: 14,000 lb (6,400 kg) Category Avro Lancaster Avro Lancaster Few would question that the Lancaster was the most effective bomber on either side in World War II.

-- Marshall of the Royal Air Force Sir Michael Beetham There can be no better tributes to the Lancaster than those to be found in the county of Lincolnshire. Bearing in mind the importance of the county's airfields to the Lancaster, it is fitting that Lincolnshire is still home to two Lancasters, both of which are available for the public to see. -- Peter Jacobs Developed from the Avro Manchester, the Avro Lancaster was the heavy bomber of World War Two. The Avro Manchester was a new generation of twin-engined heavy bombers using two powerful Rolls-Royce Vulture engines. These engines proved too unreliable. More Avro Manchesters were lost through engine failure than enemy action! The Avro Manchester was withdrawn from service in 1942, after 200 aircraft had been built. A new design took to the air in January 1941 using four less powerful but far more reliable Rolls-Royce Merlin engines. The first off the production line made its maiden flight on Halloween in the same year. Primarily a night bomber, the Avro Lancaster was to be the main bomber of Bomber Command throughout WWII.

Up until the introduction of heavy bombers, the RAF had relied upon the Fairey Battle, Bristol Blenheim, Handley Page Hampden, Vickers Wellesley, Vickers Wellington (exception) and Armstrong Whitworth Whitley, but these proved too slow, too short range, too low a flight ceiling and incapable of carrying heavy payloads. The exception was the Vickers Wellington. With its distinctive twin-tail fin and four Merlin engines, the Lancaster carried a crew of seven: pilot, navigator, flight engineer, bomb aimer (doubled as front gunner), wireless operator, mid-upper and rear gunners. Irrespective of rank, the pilot was the commanding officer. The crews were invariably in their early twenties. A crew member as old as twenty-five would be regarded as ancient. Before the start of WWII, an Operational Requirements Directive was issued for a heavy bomber. Short Brothers, Handley Page and Avro took up the challenge. The results were the Short Sterling , Handley Page Halifax and the Avro Manchester. All three heavy bombers were failures, but Roy Chadwick chief engineer at Avro, convinced he had a good airframe, turned a poor design into the highly successful Avro Lancaster.

The Lancaster entered service in 1942, with 44 Squadron (based at RAF Waddington) and 97 Squadron (based at RAF Woodhall Spa, delivered whilst still at RAF Coningsby). The range and payload capability, meant the Lancaster was able to strike at the heart of the German military machine. The first operational sortie by Lancasters was a mine laying operation on the night of 3/4 March 1942 by 44 Squadron. Four Lancasters took part, led by Squadron Leader John Nettleton. The first major sortie was an attack on Augsburg on 17 April 1942. A joint expedition by 44 and 97 Squadrons. The target was submarine diesel engine works in southern Germany. The daring raid was at low level in broad daylight. Of the 12 Lancasters that took part in the raid, only 5 returned. Squadron Leader John Nettleton who led the raid was awarded the Victoria Cross. By the end of 1942, twelve squadrons of Bomber Command were equipped with Lancasters. Lancasters were manufactured by Metropolitan-Vickers, Armstrong Whitworth, Austin Motor Company as well as Avro.

The plane was also manufactured in Canada by Victory Aircraft using Packard-built Merlin engines. Initially the Lancaster was used on daytime raids, but the level of losses was far to high, and Bomber Command switched to night flying. There was also a change of strategy. Initially, precision bombing of military targets, but with the change of strategy and Arthur 'Bomber' Harris taking charge of Bomber Command, the targets became cities and civilian populations. The raids were intended to terrorise the Germans into submission. For a time nighttime raids suffered lower losses, but as the Germans learnt, losses once again mounted. A temporary reduction in the losses, with the use of chaff, which foiled the German ground radar, but with the air-to-air radar installed on the German interceptors, losses once again mounted. Successful German interceptors were downing six Lancasters in a night. Lancasters were particularly vulnerable to an attack from below, as this was their blind spot. For D-Day, Lancasters reverted back to daylight raids, as the nearness to the English coast meant they had fighter escorts.

Lancasters using the 11,000 lb Tallboy blockbuster bomb developed by Barnes Wallis, were able to attack hardened U-Boat pens at Le Havre. 9 and 617 squadron successfully attacked the German battleship Tirpitz holed up in a Norwegian fjord using Tallboy. The Tirpitz was sunk by a direct hit from a Tallboy. A yet bigger bomb, the 22,000 lb Grand Slam, again designed by Barnes Wallis, was used to attack a German viaduct. It was a deep penetration bomb, designed to penetrate concrete, burrow 30 ft into the ground, then create a local earthquake. Too large to fit in the Lancaster bomb bay, it was slung below the aircraft with an electrical release mechanism. Grand Slam was delivered to its target by 617 Squadron. One of the most daring Lancaster raids, and the one that captured the public imagination, was the 617 Squadron Dambusters Raid , Operation Chastise, on the Ruhr Valley on the night of 16/17 May 1943. A mission led by Squadron Leader Guy Gibson using a revolutionary bouncing bomb designed by Barnes Wallis.

A mission imortalised by the 1950s film The Dam Busters co-staring Richard Todd as Guy Gibson and Sir Michael Redgrave as Barnes Wallis. The first 1,000 bomber raid, Operation Millennium, was on Cologne. Approximately 1,500 tons of bombs were dropped on Cologne that night, causing more damage than all previous sorties on the city. Cologne was virtually destroyed, only 300 houses remained. Although this stretched the resources of the RAF to the limit, ramped up war production made more of these raids possible. The first raid caught the Germans by surprise. Later raids suffered much heavier losses. Controversial then, and even more controversial now, was the carpet bombing of German cities which led to very high civilian losses. The view at the time was that this was all out war. At first, and following a warning from President Roosevelt, both sides respected each others cities. A German bomber off course, dropped its payload on London. The gloves were then off, and both sides mounted raids on each others cities. The worst of these raids was on Dresden, where the heavy bombing resulted in a firestorm which completely destroyed the city.

769 Lancasters, split into two waves took part in the raid. 1,478 tons of high explosives and 1,182 tons of incendiaries. An estimated tens of thousands of civilians were killed, including many thousands of refugees. The Dresden raid was even more destructive than the earlier raid on Hamburg 6 months previous. Germany surrendered 11 weeks later, following the raid on Dresden. War criminals are always on the other side, the losing side. Had the Allies lost, it is highly probable that Arthur Harris would have been charged as a war criminal.

But it should be noted that an international review by the Red Cross of the Law of Air Warfare concluded that [ International Review of the Red Cross no 323, p.347-363 The Law of Air Warfare (1998) ]: In examining these events [aerial area bombardment] in the light of international humanitarian law, it should be borne in mind that during the Second World War there was no agreement, treaty, convention or any other instrument governing the protection of the civilian population or civilian property, as the Conventions then in force dealt only with the protection of the wounded and the sick on the battlefield and in naval warfare, hospital ships, the laws and customs of war and the protection of prisoners of war. In hindsight, although we may think it was a violation of the norms of warfare (for both sides to attack each others cities) there was no violation of International Law taking place. Communist East Germany allowed the landmark Church of our Lady to remain in its derelict state as a monument to the bombing of Dresden. Following the fall of the Berlin Wall and the reuniting of East and West Germany, the church has been rebuilt as a symbol of hope of a better world.

The church held its first service on Sunday 30 October 2005. [ Dresden consecrates famed church and Frauenkirche - 'Dresden's miracle' ] As the war in Europe drew to a close the last operational sorties of the Lancaster was Operation Manna , to drop food not bombs. The Lancaster flew 156,308 operational sorties. Of the 7,377 Lancasters built, 3,249 were lost in action. Only 35 Lancasters completed more than 100 successful operations. The greatest survivor completed 139 operations and survived the war, only to be scrapped in 1947. A secret report at the end of 1942 estimated that of every 100 aircrew only 13 would live to complete a tour of 50 operations. At East Kirkby , home to 57 Squadron and 630 Squadron , 848 aircrew lost their lives. More than 50 million died in World War Two.

Of the 31 Victoria Crosses awarded to the British and Commonwealth Air Forces, 22 went to Bomber Command, 11 of these went to Lancaster crews. A development of the Lancaster was the Avro Lincoln bomber. There was also a civilian airliner based on the Lancaster, the Lancastrian. Other aircraft that had their roots in the Lancaster were the Avro York and the Avro Shackleton. The success of the Lancaster and its visionary designer Roy Chadwick can be seen in the fact that the Avro Shackleton saw service until May 1990. A design concept spanning 50 years. Roy Chadwick was killed in a fatal air crash in August 1947 during the test flight of a prototype Avro Tudor II. The Avro Tudor was the forerunner of the Avro Lancastrian. Air accident investigators were to later discover that the ailerons had been wired the wrong way round. The World moved on, the Lancaster was eventually replaced by the V Bombers, the best known of these being the Avro Vulcan . The Vulcan last saw active service in the Falklands War. The Vulcan in turn has been replaced by modern strike aircraft, the Jaguar and Tornado.

The Tornado will eventually be phased out to be replaced by the Eurofighter. There are 16 known Avro Lancasters remaining in the world, only two of which remain in air-worthy condition One of the 16 surviving Lancasters is Just Jane NX611, now at Lincolnshire Aviation Heritage Centre , the former RAF East Kirkby . Just Jane, built at the end of the war by Austin Motors to Far Eastern standards for service in the Pacific, last flew in 1970. Tiger Force, of which Just Jane was part, was short lived following surrender by Japan. Just Jane was then sold to the French in 1952 for maritime service. Ten years service with the French, Lancaster NX611 ended up doing 'sentry' duty outside RAF Scampton, the base where the Dambusters 617 Squadron was formed, and now home to the Red Arrows. Towards the end of service with the French, NX611 was one of only three Lancasters still flying. On its long haul back to the UK from New Caledonia, it was the only Lancaster still flying. RAF Scampton was not to be the final resting place for Just Jane.

She now resides at East Kirkby, where to the delight of the many visitors, she is pulled out of her hanger, fires up all four Rolls-Royce Merlin engines and performs regular taxi runs. Another surviving Lancaster, PA474 of the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight at RAF Coningsby, still flies, one of only two in the world that still flies. PA474 was built in Chester in mid-1945 and like Just Jane was earmarked for Tiger Force in the Far East. However, the war with Japan ended before she could take part in any hostilities and she was assigned to Photographic Reconnaissance duties with 82 Squadron in East and South Africa. On return to the UK and loaned out as use as a drone, then used as a trials aircraft for modelling laminar airflow over her modified wings. In 1964, PA474 was adopted by the Air Historical Branch (AHB) for future display at the proposed RAF Museum at Hendon. PA474 joined the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight in 1973, and was adopted by the City of Lincoln in 1975.

PA474 was named City of Lincoln in recognition of the role Lincoln and in particular Lincolnshire played in WWII. In 2000, PA474 was renamed Micky the Moocher and given 61 Squadron markings in honour of Micky the Moocher. 61 Squadron were based at RAF Skellingthorpe, just outside Lincoln. The original Mickey the Moocher EE176 was one of only 35 Lancasters to have flown and survived in excess of 100 missions. Mickey the Moocher is believed to have survived somewhere between 115 and 128 missions. Mickey the Moocher survived the war, only to then be unceremoniously assigned to the scrap heap.

Lancaster at War, DD Video, 2005 {features Lancaster PA474} Lancaster Bombers, Delta Music, 2004 {features Lancaster Just Jane NX611} Worth reading: Peter Jacobs, The Lancaster Story, Silverdale Books, 2002 Patrick Bishop, Bomber Boys, Harper Press, 2007 [see BCID 5607211 ] Terry Hancock, Bomber County, Midland, 2004 [see BCID 5758265 ] Jonathan Falconer, Bomber Command Handbook, Sutton Publishing, 2003 [see BCID 5743096 ] Ron Blake, Mike Hodgson, Bill Taylor, The Airfields of Lincolnshire, Midland Counties Publications, 1984 [see BCID 5758237 ] During WWII many of the squadrons of Bomber Command were stationed in Lincolnshire , and up to the 1960s, many of the derelict airfields still remained. In total, 27 airfields in Lincolnshire were home to Lancasters either during or just after WWII.

Lincolnshire is often referred to as Bomber County. A corner of Lincoln Cathedral is dedicated to those who lost their lives. Not far from Woodhall Spa the former RAF East Kirkby is now home to Lincolnshire Aviation Heritage Centre . In addition to an operational Spitfire, the site houses Just Jane and many other interesting exhibits, including recovered remains of crashed aircraft. Thorpe Camp , also not far from Woodhall Spa, has more exhibits. Woodhall Spa, a former spa town, has a very impressive war memorial to the Dambusters . Also at Woodhall Spa, the Petwood Hotel which was requisitioned during WWII as the Officers Mess for 617 Squadron. The Squadron Bar at Petwood has memorabilia from the period. The Blue Bell Inn, an ancient roadside inn at Tattershall Thorpe, as well as serving excellent food and ales, has Dambuster connections, with signatures of members of the squadron on the ceiling. RAF Coningsby, still an active RAF base, is home to the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight - a Lancaster escorted by a Hurricane and a Spitfire. RAF Scampton, once home to the Dambusters, is now home to the Red Arrows.

RAF Waddington , the first base to take Lancasters, is still an operational base. It used to be the home to Vulcan V Bombers, and one still stands on display, it now houses AWACs, the Tornado and is due to take the Eurofighter. Dambusters reunited: Two Second World War Lancaster bombers fly together for first time in 50 years | Daily Mail Online Dambusters reunited: World's only two airworthy WWII Lancaster bombers fly together over Britain for the first time in 50 years Lancaster bombers united on windswept RAF Coningsby in Lincolnshire for what will probably be last time Lancaster Thumper, part of RAF Battle of Britain Memorial flight, joined Canadian Lancaster Vera from Ontario Two aircraft are expected to visit some 60 air shows and public events across the UK over the next five weeks Planes had been due to pass over Lincoln Cathedral last Friday, but poor weather caused flight to be postponed Lancaster bombers most famous for Dambusters raids - attack on German dams with 'bouncing bombs' in 1943

Question: 7377 of which Avro bomber were manufactured during the course of World War 2?
Answer: LANCASTER